Poker as a Skill Game: Rational vs Irrational Behaviors

In many countries poker is one of the most popular card games. Although each variant of poker has its own rules, all involve the use of money to make the challenge meaningful. Nowadays, in the collective consciousness, some variants of poker are referred to as games of skill, others as gambling. A poker table can be viewed as a psychology lab, where human behavior can be observed and quantified. This work provides a preliminary analysis of the role of rationality in poker games, using a stylized version of Texas Hold'em. In particular, we compare the performance of two different kinds of players, i.e., rational vs irrational players, during a poker tournament. Results show that these behaviors (i.e., rationality and irrationality) affect both the outcomes of challenges and the way poker should be classified.Comment: 15 pages, 5 figure

Deception and Arousal in Texas Hold ‘em Poker

In our pilot study investigating Texas Hold ‘em poker, we found that players bluffing (with a losing hand) elicits a similar physiological arousal response (as measured by skin conductance levels) to those in a position of strength and poised to win. Since arousal has been suggested to be a reinforcing factor in problematic gambling behaviour, we sought to replicate the findings of our pilot study in the current investigation. We aimed to extend our previous findings further by: isolating truthful betting (strong betting) to disambiguate deception when players are in positions of strength (i.e. trapping), measuring subjective excitement levels and risk assessments, investigating the physiological arousal responses following wins versus losses, and finally, exploring group differences (i.e. problem gambling status, experience levels). 71 participants played 20 naturalistic rounds of Texas Hold ‘em poker for monetary rewards. We were able to replicate our previous findings that bluffing triggers a physiological arousal (as measured by skin conductance responses) similar to truthful strong betting. Trapping was also found to elicit a skin conductance response similar to both bluffing and strong betting. Measures of subjective excitement revealed a pattern that converged with physiological data. Furthermore, wins were found to be more arousing than losses. Finally, our exploratory analysis of group differences (i.e. problem gambling status, experience) proved to be an insignificant factor with all measures. We conclude that the effect of bluffing on physiological arousal is so powerful that it pervades all participants; which is problematic due to its risky nature and potential to be self-triggered. With its ever increasing popularity and availability, more research on Texas Hold ‘em poker is warranted for treatment implications

Poker as a Domain of Expertise

Poker is a game of skill and chance involving economic decision-making under uncertainty. It is also a complex but well-defined real-world environment with a clear rule-structure. As such, poker has strong potential as a model system for studying high-stakes, high-risk expert performance. Poker has been increasingly used as a tool to study decision-making and learning, as well as emotion self-regulation. In this review, we discuss how these studies have begun to inform us about the interaction between emotions and technical skill, and how expertise develops and depends on these two factors. Expertise in poker critically requires both mastery of the technical aspects of the game, and proficiency in emotion regulation; poker thus offers a good environment for studying these skills in controlled experimental settings of high external validity.We conclude by suggesting ideas for future research on expertise, with new insights provided by poker.Peer reviewe

Criminalizing Internet Gambling: Should TheFederal Government Keep Bluffing Or Fold?

This paper first describes the various mechanical aspects of Internet gambling, and then reviews the U.S. criminal laws that apply to gambling conducted online. As part of this review, several criminal and civil cases involving Internet gambling activities are discussed. Lastly, how the rapidly changing gambling landscape in the United States and the world may effect future federal lawmaking efforts for controlling Internet gambling is considered

The role of emotions mediating decision-making among successful poker players

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston UniversityThis study was designed to explore the role of emotions mediating the decision-making process in poker. The research questions included: (1) What emotions are reported by poker players? (2) What are the poker-related predictors of the reported emotions? (3) How do the reported emotions influence decision-making? A qualitative approach was chosen for the eight intermediate poker players in the study. Data analyzed according to content analysis derived from semi-structured retrospective interviews and a think aloud protocol offered evidence that emotions impacted the decision-making process of intermediate poker players. Six distinct emotions were found to influence the decision-making process in poker: Pride, excitement, happiness, anxiety, frustration, and anger. Findings confirmed prior research of the role of frustration and anger in influencing suboptimal decision-making. Three main findings deviated from previous research: Positive emotions of pride and excitement were found to impact suboptimal decision-making, the negative emotion of anxiety was found to impact optimal decision-making, and the role of experience facilitated a healthier interpretation of, and reaction to, multiple emotions. The findings in this study provide practical and academic applications for researchers, poker players, and poker consultants. A number of different directions for future research are suggested, including more observation of naturalistic poker play, using real money for naturalistic poker play, and comparing the emotional experience of different stratum of experts and intermediates. Poker players could improve profit margins through using more active, facilitative forms of coping for strong emotional reactions, while poker consultants could help clients in proactively entering emotional zones that facilitate optimal decision-making.2024-09-3

Quantum Games and Quantum Strategies

We investigate the quantization of non-zero sum games. For the particular case of the Prisoners' Dilemma we show that this game ceases to pose a dilemma if quantum strategies are allowed for. We also construct a particular quantum strategy which always gives reward if played against any classical strategy.Comment: 4 pages, 4 figures, typographic sign error in the definition of the operator J correcte

On The Foundations of Digital Games

Computers have lead to a revolution in the games we play, and, following this, an interest for computer-based games has been sparked in research communities. However, this easily leads to the perception of a one-way direction of influence between that the field of game research and computer science. This historical investigation points towards a deep and intertwined relationship between research on games and the development of computers, giving a richer picture of both fields. While doing so, an overview of early game research is presented and an argument made that the distinction between digital games and non-digital games may be counter-productive to game research as a whole